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Quieting the Return

As I've posted b/4, our return air is really loud. Its in the living area (not per our houseplan specs, but its another sordid story) and its really hard to have a conversation whilst the air/furnace is going, w/out turning the Peavy amp and mic.

Is there a "quieter" return grill? Are there ways to quiet this thing down besides moving it to a room that's away from the living area.

It all depends on what is producing the noise. If it's to much air going through the grill then possibly a different style of grill would do what you need. If the noise if coming from a mechanical noise being brought through the ductwork and exiting the the grill then you'd need to line the ductwork.
Either way you need to identify what exactly is producing the noise because each reason takes a different solution.

Use the biggest hammer you like, pounding a square peg into a round hole does not equal a proper fit.

Well Bald

Originally Posted by BaldLoonie

What's between the return grill and the blower? If just metal, lining it with duct liner should make quite a difference.

There's a platform for the air handler that impedes into the top of the opening between filter and blower. Technically, it cuts the the air return from 16x25 to about 16x20. Air, post filter, hits this platform (with its attendant 2x4's) and is redirected underneath it, then up into blower/AH.

Actually Fire its both

Originally Posted by firecontrol

It all depends on what is producing the noise. If it's to much air going through the grill then possibly a different style of grill would do what you need. If the noise if coming from a mechanical noise being brought through the ductwork and exiting the the grill then you'd need to line the ductwork.
Either way you need to identify what exactly is producing the noise because each reason takes a different solution.

Pull down the grill w/the A/C on and the noise IS audibly reduced. Still there seems to be some type of mechanical noise emanating from the A/H cabinet.

We've done some sound attenuation around the A/H and its helped THAT aspect, still the noise of the air rushing into a clean filter is annoying.

Can you move it?

Is relocating the air grill a possibility? Can you add a length of ductwork and move it farther away from the air handler? Many of the insulated plenums do a fine job of insulating both ambient air and noise.

Missouri

Originally Posted by MissouriBound

Is relocating the supply air grill a possibility? Can you add a length of ductwork and move it farther away from the air handler? Many of the insulated supply plenums do a fine job of insulating both ambient air and noise.

We're gonna try an answer that next spring, this is sort of a stop-gap type thing.

My tech has talked about adding an extra return in my office (other side of wall) and redoing the ductwork